H.264 to Pro Res conversion – color change

[Shane Ross]

Want the BEST quality? Use the app “5DtoRGB.” THe conversion will take a LONG long time. but the quality will be better. And ProRes is the best option. ProRes 422…NOT HQ. That’s overkill for Canon DSLR, as it is an 8-bit 4:2:0 format. The best quality you can actually convert to is ProRes 422. Going to HQ won’t gain an quality…it will only gain file size.

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Devon Armstrong]

Thanks for the quick answer! When I’m using MPeg Streamclip there is a slight yellowing of the footage when I convert to Pro res 422. Am I doing anything wrong here?

7D, 60D.
Carl Zeiss Primes. Zacuto Viewfinder.
Zoom H4N, Rhode NTG-3, DV PRO mix 3
Manfrotto tripod. Jag35 follow focus. DIY dolly.
Macbook pro 13in. Final Cut Pro 7.

[Shane Ross]

Try another converter, like the one I mentioned, 5DtoRGB. Or Compressor.

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Rafael Amador]

[Shane Ross] “Try another converter, like the one I mentioned, 5DtoRGB”
The 5DtoRGB is the only tool to manage properly this conversion and to correct any color issue.
Also introduces Chroma Filtering so make a great 420 > 422 resampling.
But takes looooooong.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Pete Burger]

Devon, I hope you don’t mind, when I chime in here.

Shane and Rafael, can you advise me, which Decoding Matrix to use best with 5DtoRGB?

When I shoot with the Technicolor Cinestyle, it’s clear – then I use the Technicolor Cinestyle decoding matrix.

But why is 601 available, it’s just for SD video, isn’t it? So I assume it’s for the SD capabilities of the Canons (which I don’t use).

Am I right or did I miss something?

Any advise greatly appreciated!

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“Tragedy is a close-up; comedy, a long shot.” – Buster Keaton

[Rafael Amador]

[Peter Burger] “But why is 601 available, it’s just for SD video, isn’t it? So I assume it’s for the SD capabilities of the Canons (which I don’t use).”
Hi peter,
I know very little on those matters (neither I have a Cannon), but as you say 601 is the standard color matrix for SD. i would try that when converting that footage.
I also understand that when you shot HD with “Technicolor Cinestyle”, 5DtoRGB properly convert it to CCIR 709.
I’ve used 5DtoRGB jut to experiment. The chroma resampling is very interesting if you intend to do color grading or ChromaKey.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Brad Wright]

It sounds like MPEGStreamclip is not processing the color correctly converting the video to ProRes. I’m with Shane, don’t use this converter for 5D footage. Free software isn’t free if wastes your time. Time is money.

Brad Wright is software engineer, so often hard to figure out what he is talking about. He is always happy to explain answers further.

[Pete Burger]

Thanks, Rafael!

Yes, the chroma sampling is fantastic. Very high quality! Since I did a lot of grading lately (in After Effects) 5D2RGB has become an invaluable tool for me!

I did a bit of experimenting and interestingly the transcoded footage looks closer to the native files, when using 601 than when using 709. With 709 I got a slight gamma shift, which I think is nothing too serious and can be corrected with no effort.
From what I read, the canon files are in sRGB which is closer to 709 (or even “includes” 709) than 601. I only have (very) basic knowledge of color-spaces, so I’m thankful for every bit of information.

So thanks again!

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“Tragedy is a close-up; comedy, a long shot.” – Buster Keaton

[Rafael Amador]

[Peter Burger] “From what I read, the canon files are in sRGB which is closer to 709 (or even “includes” 709) than 601. I only have (very) basic knowledge of color-spaces, so I’m thankful for every bit of information.”
Right.
sRGB basically is the RGB version of the CCIR 709 (YCbCr).
sRGB was standard in computer so I guess the Broadcast HD video adopted the CCIR 709 norm so HD would look OK in computers screens.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Pete Burger]

Thanks again, Rafael! Very much appreciated!

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“Tragedy is a close-up; comedy, a long shot.” – Buster Keaton